Wagon Train on the Encore Western Channel

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ken123
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Re: Wagon Train on the Encore Western Channel

Post by ken123 »

MissGoddess wrote:I missed the first few episodes. Did they in any way set up the relationship between Horton and Bond, or were they like the others...episodic?

Miss Goddess,
I missed the episodes from 3Am to 11Am (CST ) and the very beginning of the first episode, in what I have seen no set up for the relationship has been aired.
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MissGoddess
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Re: Wagon Train on the Encore Western Channel

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Well that's good to know, thank you Ken. And hopefully we can catch them when the series starts on Monday.
It's fun just anticipating what new guest star shows up.
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Re: Wagon Train on the Encore Western Channel

Post by markfp »

I've been recording them, but so far only watched the first one which guest starred Ernest Borgnine. If they didn't start with the first "set-up" episode, perhaps for the marathon they picked the episodes with best known guest stars.
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ken123
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Re: Wagon Train on the Encore Western Channel

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MissGoddess wrote:Well that's good to know, thank you Ken. And hopefully we can catch them when the series starts on Monday.
It's fun just anticipating what new guest star shows up.
The more female guests the better. :D
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Re: Wagon Train on the Encore Western Channel

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Ha! Well he's not female by any stretch, but I see Lee Van Cleef just showed up.
I've been execting him. Now I'm just waiting for Ken Curtis, Strother Martin and John Dehner. :D

However I was curious about one lady if she'd show up, and looking up on IMDb.com I
see that Vera Miles is in three episodes of "Wagon Train" (1959, 1964, 1965).

OH, and here's Olive Carey...wonder if Dobe can be far behind.
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ken123
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Re: Wagon Train on the Encore Western Channel

Post by ken123 »

George Montgomery YIKES ! IMHO a lousy actor and according to Maureen O' Hara a lout also, she didnt use the word. In her autobiography Tis Herself MsO'Hara states while doin a love seen with Montgomery tried to stick his tongue down her throat. The fil was Ten Gentlemen from West Point, some gentlemen !!! :(
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movieman1957
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Re: Wagon Train on the Encore Western Channel

Post by movieman1957 »

I missed the first few minutes as I was actually writing my "3 Godfathers" ramble but it seemed any introduction was pretty quick.
Chris

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moira finnie
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Re: Wagon Train on the Encore Western Channel

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MissGoddess wrote:I missed the first few episodes. Did they in any way set up the relationship between Horton and Bond, or were they like the others...episodic?
They seemed to be a bantering father and son type of relationship with hyper-critical Ward Bond annoyed with Horton in just about every scene. He calls him everything but "blanket-head"!!

My sister caught a few minutes of one epi and said that she was falling for Ward all over again, just like she did as a very little girl. Kath pointed out that Bond could easily have been Clark Gable's brother! I kind of see what she means about the resemblance, though I think Ward looks just like a Newfoundland dog (and I mean that in a complimentary way). I just wish he had more scenes in the episodes!
Image
Image

What's this I read about Ward Bond having had epilepsy and concealing it for years until it was revealed years after his death?

Why did Bond use crutches and a cane in so many episodes?
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Re: Wagon Train on the Encore Western Channel

Post by MissGoddess »

Ha! The doggie does look like Wardy! :D

I think the epi's with the crutches were shot around the time he had an accident (either he broke a leg, injured a hip or hurt his back, I'd have to look it up to be sure), during filming of one of his movies with Ford, I believe.
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Wagon Train

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.
24 hours of Wagon Train! And I watched them all. I had my recorder going, but as each hour finished, I erased it so as to leave room on the DVR, and also so I could hit pause when the phone rang, and back up to anything I had missed. Guest stars included a lot of Hollywood stars, but also as yet unknown TV stars. Happily Ward Bond is likable in this role, which I think is just about ending for him and John McIntyre who seems to be the person for fill in roles of the day, will be taking over for a while. The first two years they had no definite theme song as yet, and Ward and Robert Horton were the only credited stars. Bond is always yelling "Where is McCulla", he's never around when you need him," but he smiles as he says it. Horton spends so much time away from the train, its' a wonder that they pay him as a scout. I also like the introduction and closing by Ward Bond with each episode giving a vague idea of what is about to happen. These were also in B&W, with no commercials, so they will most likely be more entertaining than any other channel because most of them keep the commercials in.
.
Anne


***********************************************************************
* * * * * * * * What is past is prologue. * * * * * * * *

]***********************************************************************
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movieman1957
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Re: Wagon Train on the Encore Western Channel

Post by movieman1957 »

MIssG:

The first episode was replayed tonight. Right after the credits Bond (in narration) introduced himself and mentioned his scout (Horton.) They knew each other before according to that little scene.
Chris

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Re: Wagon Train on the Encore Western Channel

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Thank you, Chris...I caught maybe the last half hour of it.
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Re: Wagon Train on the Encore Western Channel

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.
I'm thoroughly enjoying these Wagon Train episodes. I loved Aggie Moorehead and felt so sorry for her, but the young man helped to make it better. Whenever I see either Anne Jeffreys or Robert Sterling, I look around for the other one, because they are very rarely separated, they're kind of like peanut butter and jelly. The same goes for Ida Lupino and Howard Duff. Whether she's acting or directing, he is not far away. I believe the guest stars are people whose careers have been damaged by the small screen, and have come to TV to revitalize themselves, as all of these people did. Jeffreys and Sterling had a detective show (I seem to recall), and Lupino had a type of show with different stories each week, which she starred in with hubby, similar to Loretta Young. Aggie, of course became our favorite witch on Bewitched.

I was surprised that Mother Carey had no chickens around her. I expected to see at least Dobe, but she was going it alone. This is another show that is like new to me. I can't figure out why my Dad never watched westerns. I would think they would have alerted the macho man in him, but all of them are fresh as brand new to me. The one I don't care for, and I know you will all think I'm nuts, is Have Gun Will Travel, I don't like his foppishness in San Francisco or his 'look at me, I'm so educated' attitude towards all the cowhands he meets up with. But, again, that is a personal preference. I've watched several episodes and none of them has turned me on to the show. Oddly, being a basically formula type of show, Lawman would normally not interest me, but I like the characters and as I've mentioned, I like the obvious attraction between Lily and Dan which is not pushed 'in your face'.
.
Anne


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]***********************************************************************
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moira finnie
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Re: Wagon Train on the Encore Western Channel

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I found an interview that might interest fans of this show with author Jim Rosin, who has written a book on Wagon Train. It is interesting, especially his descriptions of what happened to the show after Ward Bond's death.
You can hear it here:
http://www.silverscreenaudio.com/tune-in/player.php?id=127
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Re: Wagon Train on the Encore Western Channel

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Ooh, thank you, Moira! I will definitely give it a listen when I get home!

Did a little quick reference to Eyman's bio and it said Wardy may have ruined his health by overwork on the show. He was apparently involved in all aspects of the production, and scripts. So while the success of the show is due in large part to him, maybe it cost too much in terms of his life. However, looking at him he seemed in poor shape, and I suspect poor diet and drinking were the real culprits. It's sad, because he really had something to be proud of. Oh well, though he died rather young he certainly worked harder than many ten other actors.
"There's only one thing that can kill the movies, and that's education."
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